Why A Leader Often Needs to Be Mean

My good friend Shawn Lovejoy has just released his new book Be Mean About The Vision.  It is one of the best and most challenging books on Christian leadership I have read in quite awhile.  To give you a preview of what you can expect, please read Shawn’s thoughts below.  And make sure you pick up several copies for your entire leadership team by clicking HERE or on the image above.  Now onto Shawn’s thoughts.
If you look up the word mean in the dictionary, you’ll see several definitions. One of them says that to be mean is “to be offensive, selfish, or unaccommodating.” That’s the definition most of us think of first, and I know some mean leaders, don’t you? I’m not giving you permission to be a mean leader.
However, the other definition of the word mean is “to have an intended purpose.” In this instance, the word mean has to do with intent. We’ll sometimes say “What I m​eant​to say was . . . ” or “I m​eant t​hat as a compliment.” In these instances the word mean h​as to do with intent. That is what “being mean about the vision” is all about. Being m​ean​about the vision is being intentional​a​bout the vision.
Why is is so important that we be intentional about the vision? The Bible tells us in Proverbs 29:18 that “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” In other words, where there is no vision, things dies and people die; maybe not physically, but in the Bible death is not physical. When Adam and Eve lost sight of God’s vision for them in the garden, They died; not physically, but spiritually, relationally, and emotionally. That’s how the Bible most often describes death.
Some of us know that the word vision in in Proverbs 29:18 is literally translated r​evelation.​The New International Version translates this same verse like this: “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint” Proverbs 29:18 (NIV). In other words, God also wants us to know that where there is a lack of a clear vision revealed by God for a person or organization, there is going to be less focus, more people running in random directions, and and more chaos that ensues!
This is why I believe vision is the most important thing in the world. We must understand, embrace, and align our lives and our organizations around God’s revealed vision for our lives and the organizations we lead! We must steward it. preserve it. We must protect it. We must defend it. We must hold people accountable to it. We must be willing to let people go when they won’t align around it. All of this is what it means to “be mean” about the vision.
T​he cry of our day is for courageous leaders, not cowardly ones. We need leaders who will stand up like the prophets of old and boldly proclaim, but then relentless fight to preserve and protect the most important thing in the world: God’s vision for our lives and the organizations we lead. All of this is what it means to “be mean” about the vision! This is the cry of our day for leaders everywhere. So go. Be mean. About the Vision!

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